How did this all start?
My daughter and I went to The Gambia for a holiday in February 1996. We enjoyed it so much that we went back again in May of that year to
revisit the many Gambian friends we had made.
It was on that second visit that we became aware of how desperate the Gambian children were for education. I made a committment there and
then to the head of Lamin-Daranka Primary School to raise money to build classrooms. I raised that money and we built the classrooms! Helping these Gambian children then became a ‘magnificent obsession’ and I continued from there.
In 1998 I registered Glosaid in The Gambia as a charity in order to put it on a more formal footing. (Registration Number 196.)
I have been joined in this work by a long standing friend, Carole Light, from Devon, who is a tireless fund-raiser and worker. Together we
are making great progress in our children’s aid projects.
I spend most of each year in The Gambia working ‘hands on’ with the various projects - painting classrooms, resourcing materials, and being
physically involved in whatever project we are undertaking at the time. This has brought me into contact with all levels of Gambian society, from The Minister of the Interior and The Minister For Agriculture to the
many poverty-trapped people whose children can have their lives transformed by the gift on an education.
It’s hard and demanding work but it’s worth every minute of effort.
The rewards are simple and sincere. Instead of “Hellow wats your name wear you come from?” - which is the traditional Gambian greeting to a stranger - it’s now “Hello Lin” with a big smile and sometimes a present of fruit or peanuts for me.
We hope you will take a holiday with us, sponsor a child, make a donation or even raise funds for us. (Warning: if you take a holiday you,
too, could catch the ‘magnificent obsession’ to help these children.)
Whatever you are able to do to help we look forward to, and we will always appreciate your support.
Yours sincerely,
Linda Cross
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